Recipe for raw ham, parma, homemade jamon

Germany, Italy, Spain, France and Portugal currently produce the best raw hams in the world. The word ham comes from Italian prosciutto, which in turn came from Latin pro (before) + exsuctus(exudation). In this recipe we will follow the recipe most similar to raw Parma ham (Prosciutto di Parma), of Italian origin. There are many variations and ways to arrive at a good product.

O raw ham, raw prosciutto or jamón It is one of the most noble charcuterie products, its simplicity contrasts with the rich aromas and flavors of the final product. It is a delicacy made with 3 ingredients: pork shank, salt and time. It takes patience, knowledge of the basic process and dedication to achieve a quality product. The type of animal and food make all the difference in the final quality of the raw ham. Unfortunately, it is difficult to find an animal raised free range and fed correctly, so we use slaughterhouse meat, which unfortunately does not have the ideal weight, age or nutrition, but has good health control. The prosciutto crudo will not be of the same quality as one made from an animal raised in an ideal way, but it is still possible to obtain an excellent product.

Raw ham ingredients – prosciutto crudo

• 3kg Ham
• 4kg coarse salt

sugna recipe

• 200 g of lard;
• 400 g of rice flour;
• 1 tablespoon of natural rosemary extract; – natural antioxidant
• 2 g of black pepper.

Preparation of prosciutto crudo – raw ham

1. You need to trim the shank so that it has a compact oval shape, without many burrs or loose pieces of meat. Remove the bone attached to the femur, leaving the round end of the connecting bone exposed. Remove excess skin and connective tissue, keeping as much of the fat as possible. It is not recommended to remove too much skin, exposing the meat and fat excessively as the skin is a layer of protection;
   
2. The salting process may vary depending on the producer. We use a simple traditional rule which is to leave the ham immersed in salt for 40 hours for every 1 kg of weight of the ham. A 3 kg ham, for example, is immersed in salt for 120 hours (5 days). There are other more precise, slow and staged ways to salt the ham, but as a general rule of simple execution this time per weight is the easiest way;
   
3. Make a bed of salt in a plastic box, lay the ham on this bed with the part with the most leather facing down, cover the meat with salt, massage and fill the spaces, cover the rest of the ham with a layer of salt;
   
4. Leave it immersed in salt for 40 hours for every 1 kg of ham weight;
   
5. After the period in salt, wash the ham well, removing all excess salt;
   
6. Start the maturation stage by hanging the ham in a place with a temperature of 12°C to 14°C with relative humidity close to 80% until it loses 30% of its weight.
   
7. After losing 30% of the initial weight, apply a layer of sugna (recipe above) to the part where the meat is exposed, and return to the chamber with the same controlled temperature and humidity. The sugna will prevent excessive drying of the area where the meat is exposed. During this stage the raw ham will naturally develop complex flavors and aromas. This step is crucial for the product to acquire superior quality.
   
8. Keep in the chamber for 6 to 12 months.
   
9. That's it, the raw ham can finally be consumed! I recommend that you only thinly slice what you need for immediate consumption, then store the rest wrapped in PVC film in the refrigerator. Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before consuming so that room temperature favors the release of aromas and flavors.

Process data

Original shank weight: 2922 g
Clean shank weight: 2652 g
Salting begins: 08/15/2020
End of salting: 08/20/2020
Start of the maturation process in the chamber: 08/20/2020
End of maturation: 08/20/2021